Faulty Tire Valve Stems May Cause Accidents

August 2008

A lawsuit was filed in Florida alleging that a cracked stem on a tire valve led to a fatal rollover car accident, prompting federal officials to conduct an investigation into the safety of the stems. One of the products' distributors, Tech International, has announced a recall of 6 million valve stems.

It is estimated that 36 million of the valve stems were manufactured in China by Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corp. from July 2006 to November 2006. They were distributed by Dill Air Control Products of Oxford, N.C. and Tech International of Johnstown, Ohio. After the lawsuit was filed, Dill alerted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the possible problem.

Dill has requested that all retailers return the potentially defective valve stems produced in 2006 and to examine the valve stems installed between September 2006 and June 2007. This is difficult, however, as valve stems are not easy to trace after they leave the warehouse.